Hey everyone. My name is Dani Dunn, and I'm an aspiring fiction writer who dabbles in poetry from time to time. I set up this page to network, primarily with other writers. I'm currently working on a book about a family's struggle to reconnect after the children go into foster care. So read my page, send me emails, ask questions, and get to know me.
I was born in Detroit, Michigan in the late 70s. I graduated from Cass Technical High School in 1993. I started college at Howard University in Washington, DC, but I only stayed at Howard for three years. During that time, I realized I had the gift of writing. I love stories about black love, black life and black relationships, and I figured I could tell good stories of my own. I took a lot of literature and poetry classes at Howard that taught me about the plight of blacks in America. That's when I was first exposed to the writings of Toni Morrison, August Wilson, Terry McMillan and Zora Neale Hurston. The first time I read The Bluest Eye and Their Eyes Were Watching God I was hooked.
At the end of 1997, I moved to Illinois to search for peace of mind. I couldn’t finish Howard because of money and other factors, so I was in a bad place when I first arrived in Illinois. Once I got comfortable in Chicago, things started to turn around for me. I got back in school, and I graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in English from DePaul University. DePaul was a major change from what I was used to at Howard, but it turned out to be what I needed. At Howard, I learned about black history and afrocentric culture, but at DePaul, I learned more about european history and its influence on America. Both schools helped me become better informed and a more well-rounded person.
Shortly after graduating from DePaul, the tragedy on September 11th occured, and changed my entire outlook on life. Before that tragedy, I was heavily considering moving to the Big Apple to either attend NYU or look for a job in the publishing field. I was so devastated after the tragedy happened, that I couldn’t bring myself to go anywhere near New York. I felt as if I had lost myself in a bad dream, and I couldn't wake up until I did something to help people who were in need. After a few months of contemplation, I decided to enroll in the Jane Addams College of Social Work at the University of Illinois at Chicago. I received my Master’s Degree in Social Work in May of 2004.
Now I’m doing my thing in New York City. I’m employed as a social worker while working on my writing career. I’m looking for that big break in publishing because I feel my life and my experiences have given me the ability to positively influence others. A lot of my stories deal with the evils that plague our society such as drugs, child abuse, hate, and anger - specifically within the African American community. I also write about love and life's changes. My stories are empowering and uplifting, and it is my hope that anyone who reads them will be inspired.
Thanks for checking out my page.
Peace, Dani Dunn
